to put a duffle coat in the machine on a wool wash?

[shesellsseacats]

It says dry clean only, but it'll be fine really... won't it?

I’ve washed dry clean only items in the washing machine before. Recently done a load of cushion covers. I use the coldest shorted wash (mine is 30 deg for 30 mins). Everything has always come out fine!

@shesellsseacats

It says dry clean only, but it'll be fine really... won't it?

I wouldn't. If it's a proper duffel coat I'd have it dry-cleaned, even on a wool wash it's likely to come out matted.

I'd use a cold wash if you have one - pre soak in cool water if its very dirty

Dry clean it! I do this stuff for a living, don't put it in the washing machine.

If you could put it on the machine, that's what it would say on the label.

Yabu for putting this in aibu

It's a proper duffle coat.

Damn, I don't have time to faff about with dry cleaners.

Trying to get rid of moths and I have a clothes mountain to get through! (to get rid of or wash and bag up so the moths can't get to it).

I wouldn't have bought it in the first place tbh.
but would give it a go.

an item that can't be washed in a normal washing machine at home is not worth keeping imo.

@purplesequins

I wouldn't have bought it in the first place tbh. but would give it a go.

an item that can't be washed in a normal washing machine at home is not worth keeping imo.

I didn't buy it, it was passed on to me.

It's a large, heavy duty coat and there's nothing quite like it when it's cold.

But it has been sitting around waiting to go to the dry cleaners for at least a year now. (Hence moths).

@Hyppogriff

Yabu for putting this in aibu

Eh? Why on earth not. I want to know if AIBU or not, that's what this section is for.

Don’t wash it - not even on a cold wash or in the bath.

If it’s got moths, dry cleaning might kill the larvae. You’ll have to let the cleaners know. Take it in one of those ‘suck the air out’ storage bags.

Do you know anyone with a chest freezer? Store the coat in the storage bag. Leave in freezer for more than 8 weeks. Then defrost and dry clean.

There is only one thing I don't put in my washing machine, and that's my duffle coat (I have the same policy with my dishwasher, the only exceptions are soda stream bottles and my mixer attachments).

If you value your coat please dry clean it.

It's not just the coat, I have a huge pile of clothes to get through, I'd need about 3 chest freezes to do it all!

I'm going to wash everything and stick it in storage bags with anti-moth stuff.

I've put it in the machine. If it's the end of the coat, so be it.

But I did take it off the 30 degree wash I'd started and put it on a cold wash, so we'll see...

I won't get round to taking it to the dry cleaners, it'll just continue to sit about being mothy.

Two questions:

What's it made of?

Does it have a water proof coating?

I wouldn't.

@dudsville

Two questions:

What's it made of?

Does it have a water proof coating?

1. wool
2. no

I was going to suggest freezing it, but I see @AuntyFungal has beaten me to it.

Sadly I also have to agree with the posters who have warned against washing the coat - even in a cold wash, the threshing around in the machine would felt the fabric - it will shrink and get thickened. I used to go to a felt-making group, and washing pure wool objects in the machine is one of the ways of ‘wet felting’ wool.

If you are cleaning it because of moths - I'm pretty sure you would need quite hot water to do this, which will likely ruin the coat. I think dry cleaning kills moth larvae? as does freezing things. I would ask them at the cleaners. From what I read you need about 10 days in a freezer. I would use disposable zip lock bags and put items in individually that can't be washed hot. Can you quarantine everything else in sealed bags maybe and clean and freeze in batches? Just a thought.... and also maybe use it as a chance to get rid of clutter if you have a lot massive mission though!!

It's out of the machine and...

drumroll

... it looks OK!

I've checked the label and it turns out it's actually only 70% wool, 30% nylon - I never would have guessed! It's really heavy and looks like a proper wool coat. But maybe that's what saved it?

Sorry for giving false info on what it's made of but I couldn't check the label as I started this thread after putting the machine on as I had a wobble!

It did 20 minutes of a 30 degree wool cycle, then a 30 minute cold cycle. It looks and smells cleaner and there's no felting as far as I can see. Result.

Once it's dry I'll pack it away where the moths can't get to it.

massive mission though!!

Indeed it is! Back to it...

It has never occurred to me to wash my duffle coat

@Bobmonkfish

It has never occurred to me to wash my duffle coat

I wouldn't have done it if we didn't have moths to be fair.

Urgh, I have moths and no idea where they're coming from. Congrats OP!

@OldTinHat me too! How do we find out 🤦🏼‍♀️

No idea! I have those pheromone moth traps everywhere which are attracting loads. I also have a Renotkill spray which I use when sitting watching the TV 🙄 I'm going away to visit family later this week and have ordered some of the teeny wasps (tricogramma) to get to work whilst I'm away - from Amazon.

Ooops! NC fail - my phone app and computer have different user names!